What Is Content Marketing Tips 2017 and Why It Matters for Agencies

Content marketing in 2017 represented a fundamental shift away from interruptive advertising toward building authority and trust through valuable information. Rather than pushing products directly at prospects, agencies were helping clients create and distribute content—blog posts, whitepapers, videos, guides—that addressed customer pain points and questions. The core idea was that by consistently publishing helpful material related to what your target audience cares about, you'd attract qualified prospects organically, establish credibility, and ultimately earn more conversions and customer loyalty than you would through paid ads alone. For agencies specifically, this meant expanding beyond traditional web design and SEO services to include content strategy, creation, and distribution as core offerings. Clients weren't just buying a website anymore; they were buying a way to stay visible and authoritative in their industry long-term.

The reason content marketing mattered so intensely for agencies in 2017 was that it directly addressed the gap between traffic and conversion. Websites could rank and get clicks, but without content that genuinely helped visitors solve problems or understand their options, bounce rates stayed high and sales stayed flat. Google's algorithm changes throughout the mid-2010s increasingly rewarded sites with substantial, relevant, topical content. Agencies recognized that if they didn't help clients build content libraries, they'd be leaving money on the table—clients would either hire someone else or eventually get frustrated with traffic that didn't convert. Additionally, content gave agencies a tangible way to demonstrate value over months and years, rather than one-time web design projects. A client could see that their helpful blog was bringing qualified leads month after month, which justified ongoing retainers and content services.

For agencies looking to implement content marketing practically, the approach involved several concrete steps. First, conduct a content audit of what the client was already producing and identify major gaps between what prospects were actually searching for and what content existed to answer those questions. This meant pulling keyword research data and mapping it against the client's existing blog, guides, and resources. Second, develop a content calendar that aligned with both the client's business goals and the customer journey—early-stage awareness content for people just recognizing they have a problem, mid-stage consideration content for those evaluating solutions, and decision-stage content for those ready to buy. Third, establish a realistic production schedule, whether that meant publishing two blog posts weekly or one comprehensive guide monthly. Agencies often handled writing, editing, and optimization themselves, or managed freelance writers. Finally, ensure content was actually being promoted through the client's email list, social channels, and outreach—publishing great content and hoping people found it wasn't a strategy that worked.

Agencies that incorporated content marketing into their service offerings in 2017 gained a significant competitive advantage.